The Bug In Winter
by NeitherSparky
Summary: What happened on the island directly following Hopper's demise?
1. Chapter One

**The Bug In Winter**

a _Bug's Life_ fanfic  
by Sparky

_Chapter I_

The account of Hopper's demise spread throughout the Colony rapidly, and by the time the circus bugs had been invited to spend the night within the shelter of the Anthill, everyone had heard at least one version of it. The more popular versions featured Flik as some kind of superhero, literally tossing the big grasshopper to a flock of ravenous birds - but Flik's friends knew that Princess Atta's more modest version was probably more accurate. Bulging biceps or not, however, everyone accepted that Flik was one exceptional ant, and the whole Colony took his words about not being weak to heart. Everyone knew that from that day on, the citizens of Ant Island would be respected as well as respecting themselves, which was probably the more important factor anyway.

In the morning, the circus bugs were invited to share breakfast with Flik and the Royal Family. As the rain had stopped and the sun had come out with the vengeance of a Summer day, everyone met outside under the Tree. Around them, the rest of the Colony was hard at work waterproofing the Anthill. The patch of ground where the grasshoppers had burst through earlier that Spring, while reinforced with leaves, wouldn't hold under the weight of the mud the ground would become during the Winter rains. More soil had to be brought in from the outer portions of the Island and layered very carefully to avoid erosion, a process routinely performed around the Anthill every Summer - only the Colony hadn't had time this year to adequately prepare. Now it was a rush job. Not to mention that the Anthill's back exits still had to be sealed with flat rocks, and that required the strength of the entire Colony.

This made Atta very nervous. She sat very stiffly at the breakfast table, looking around anxiously at the workers as they scuttled back and forth. She felt that she should be doing something, but the Queen had told her repeatedly that the Royal Council had everything under control.

Next to Atta, Flik watched the Princess fidget. He put a hand on hers, and squeezed it. She glanced at him and he smiled.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Your mother is right - it's under control. Our troubles are over. Try to enjoy yourself."

Atta nodded and smiled back. She'd try - but she couldn't guarantee anything. In any case, the ants had other news for their guests this morning.

"Now, I'm not knocking your midways," P.T. was explaining to the Queen as Tuck and Roll erupted into a noisy squabble over a droplet of nectar. "But the real excitement is in the travelling circus. Now _there's_ a place where you can take the whole family. You find a seat that isn't sticky, you cringe at the incredibly dangerous death-defying routines, you spend a mint on refreshments and souvenirs, and then you leave. Nothing fancy, no one discussing the best way to breed tubifex worms, none of that. Just a day of fun."

Slim rolled his eyes. "Sure, fun for the audience," he remarked. "While we have to not only perform, but set everything up, and take it back down again..."

"...And clean up after every disgusting fly that comes through the place," supplied Francis around a bite of food.

P.T. threw his arms wide. "Well who do you expect to do that?" he demanded. "Not me - I'm too busy with the paperwork. Besides, what do you want to do, get OSHA on us? That would be the last thing we need."

Rosie pointed an accusing finger at the flea. "You should hire someone to manage the props," she said. "And to help us put up the tent, and do repairs - "

"All _right_," interrupted P.T. sourly. "I'll think about it."

"Mother," said Atta quickly, changing the subject, "shouldn't we..." She raised an eyeridge at the Queen.

"Oh, of course," replied the Queen, and gave Aphie one more scrap of food. She put the aphid on the ground and stood up. "You have all," she began, addressing the circus bugs, "made quite an impression on the Colony. You have aided us in solving a problem that has plagued us for years, and in return, we would like to repay you. With Winter practically on top of us - despite the sunny day we have now - we would be honored if you all chose to stay here, on the Island, with us until Spring."

The circus bugs were flattered. "We couldn't possibly intrude - "

"You _have_ to say yes," smiled Atta, interrupting Manny. "We insist."

"Well isn't - isn't there a food shortage?" Gypsy wondered.

Flik shook his head. "No," he answered. "We have enough food underground for the Colony to last the winter, _plus_ what was picked at the last minute for the grasshoppers. That's everything, all the food on the entire Island."

"We've never had to pick _everything_ before," the Queen went on, sitting back down. "So, essentially, if you _don't_ stay, we'll be wasting food."

At that, the circus bugs had to accept.

"Yay!" shouted Dot, who had been quietly eating up until this time. "Can you put on shows for us?"

"Dot!" exclaimed Atta. "They're our guests, they don't have to work."

Rosie waved her hands. "Oh, no, no," she said, backed up by the others. "We'd love to perform for you - besides, we have to keep in practice." The circus bugs all nodded at that.

"Well that's terrific!" beamed the Queen. "It'll be quite a change for us. Usually our Winters are horribly dull, sitting around underground with nothing to do."

"Speaking of sitting around doing nothing," broke in P.T., putting down the bead of dew he was about to drink, "where's that lazy crew of mine? All they ever _do_ is sit around, playing those stupid games of theirs."

"Give them a break," Slim told the flea. "You got yourself a real bargain with those three. Blip and Flash double as both spotlights _and_ Concessions, and Ymri does the work of an entire band all by himself!"

"Ja," agreed Heimlich. "So what if they are antisocial?"

P.T. harrumphed. "I still say they're lazy bums."

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Flash yawned. "I'm tired," he complained.

Blip elbowed him. "Snap outta it," he told the other firefly. "It's your turn."

"Oh all right." Flash rolled a fourteen-sided die. He drew a card from the purple pile. "Hah!" he crowed, waving the card over his head like a banner. "I get twenty extra round tokens! Okay, I attack Ymri's squadron with my backup swarm and take his Hexagonal Hideout!"

"You can't," Blip pointed out. "Ymri's got a Poison Ivy Barrier around his Hideout. Besides, you need three more square tokens to attack his Squadron. You forfeit your turn."

"What?" Flash was indignant. "Gimme the Rulebook!"

Ymri obediently handed Flash the Rulebook - an impressive tome about two-thirds of an inch thick. Flash staggered a bit under its weight, but managed to open it.

"When I find the right page you gotta give me half of your green cards, ya feeb!" Flash told Blip smugly.

"Forget it, you forfeit. Ymri, your turn."

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"You wanna be here all mornin'?" snapped Blip. "If we're not outta this tree by noon, P.T.'ll have our heads for dessert!"

"Fine." Flash closed the book and dropped it onto the web Ymri had constructed for them to use as a playing surface. The web bounced, sending the book, all the piles of cards, the dozens of multi-sided dice, the tokens of all shapes, and all three boards flying.

Several yards below, P.T. screamed as the Rulebook flattened him.

"_Hey!_" yelped Blip, but it was too late - the game pieces had scattered in all directions. "Now see what you done?"

"Oh gee, I'm sorry," said Flash sheepishly. "I didn't mean it. I told yous I was tired."

Ymri merely sighed. "It does no matter," he told the fireflies. "Is only the seventh _Hive Wars_ set we lose this month."

"Yeah," Blip had to agree as the wolf spider picked up the single blue card which remained on the web and dropped it casually over the edge. "We're doing _much_ better than _last_ month."

"Well," said Flash, looking back and forth between his companions. "Anyone up for _Lizard Encounter_?"


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter II_

"Hopper!..Hoppy?"

Molt landed heavily on a cloverleaf. After waiting out the rain the night before, he alone had returned to Ant Island to look for Hopper - only he hadn't found anything, and he was well worn out, not to mention hoarse from shouting.

The grasshopper distractedly scratched an elbow, and proceeded pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.

"Hopper's gonna kill me...flyin' away like that...he's probably just waitin' for me to show up and then am I gonna get it...But I've looked everywhere already...Unless - " Here Molt gripped the leaf's stem as a breeze picked up. " - Unless he _isn't_ here, and he's waitin' for me somewhere else...and when I don't show up...Oh boy, this is bad...So should I go, or keep lookin'? Gee I hate makin' decisions..."

Frustrated, Molt took to the air again, flying in a slow circle towards the Tree which towered over the Anthill. He scanned his surroundings hastily, looking for any sign of his brother in the ground's sparse vegetation. Below him, he could see the worker ants moving about, laying soil around the Hill - and at the base of the Hill, he could see a table made of leaves at which many larger insects sat.

He stared at the congregation, forgetting to watch where he was headed. Those bugs looked familiar...

Suddenly his flight was cut short when he rammed into some spongy, sticky stuff stretched between a few of the branches of the Tree. Nearby, a couple of voices cried out in surprise.

"Ack!" shouted Flash, throwing all his _Lizard Encounter_ cards in the air. "Air Raid! We're bein' invaded!"

"Get your foot out of my eye!" responded Blip.

Molt thrashed in a panic, trying to figure out what had happened. Then it clicked. He had flown straight into a spider's web! He shouted and wailed, struggling madly, which only served to tangle him more hopelessly.

Ymri, who had managed to jump clear, held back and watched in surprise as Molt's struggles succeeded in entangling the grasshopper and the two fireflies into a sticky, webby mess. Ymri grabbed a thread of the web - one that connected it to the Tree - in an attempt to steady it. "Take it easy my friend," he told Molt. "Do not be kicking so much. I will get you out."

Molt ceased his flailing long enough to twist around and get a good look at the speaker. He went pale. It was a big wolf spider, which, judging by his appearance, was capable of dispatching any grasshopper he managed to snare in his web - if he chose to. Molt was hoping he didn't.

"Oh geez," whined Molt nervously. "I - I didn't see your web! Please don't eat me - You don't want me anyways, I'm uh...I'm..."

"You're _squashin'_ me!" complained Flash, his voice muffled in the webbing.

"Help!" cried Blip, on the other side. "I'm runnin' outta air!"

Ymri knew he had to work fast, so he began tugging on the strands of web quickly and a bit haphazardly. Unfortunately, the grasshopper weighed more than what the web was originally constructed to hold.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"What is that sound?" wondered Manny, looking about.

Gypsy frowned. "It sounds like...screams - "

Everyone yelled and jumped in surprise as a large, shrieking bundle plummeted from above to crash-land in the center of the breakfast table. Food, ants, and circus bugs scattered everywhere.

Flik was the first to uncover his eyes. "It's a grasshopper!" he cried. "I...think."

Francis frowned. "Since when do grasshoppers have left and right turn signals?"

"It's Blip and Flash!" observed Slim as the fireflies blinked their abdomens on and off feebly.

Dot, frightened but excited, flew up to the top of a torn piece of grass to watch.

"Ow...Ooh..." moaned Molt, who had landed squarely on his back. His wings felt pinned in unnatural position and his center of gravity seemed to have been left behind in the Tree. He blinked at the sky in confusion as Aphie yapped furiously somewhere out of his line of sight.

Just then Ymri arrived from above on a long strand of thread. He dropped down and approached the broken breakfast table. "Pardon me, please," he said distractedly to no one in particular, righting Molt and beginning to untie him just as if nothing had happened. Rosie, after a brief glance at the others, quickly joined him.

The surrounding workers, who had not only heard the crash but also the cry of 'grasshopper', began to gather around curiously.

Atta was quite flustered by the whole affair, and turned to her mother for council. The Queen merely gave her a prodding look, so Atta cleared her throat and took charge of the situation.

"You have some nerve coming back here," she addressed Molt, who was just beginning to get over his initial daze. She spread her wings and hovered threateningly over the grasshopper's head. "As soon as you're free from that web, I want you to _leave_, and _never_ return. Do you understand?"

Molt, who was well aware that not only was he helpless while tangled in the webbing, but that he was also surrounded by scores of insects who weren't very fond of him, drew back from the Princess in fear. "I'm sorry - I'm sorry," he stammered weakly. Rosie managed to free one of the grasshopper's upper arms and he put it between himself and Atta as if to fend off a blow. "I only came back 'cause I wanted to look for Hopper. I'll get out of here as soon as I find him."

At the mention of Hopper, Atta drew back, and landed on the ground. She, her mother, Flik, and the circus bugs glanced at eachother. "Hopper?" she repeated to the grasshopper at last.

"Yeah." Molt lowered his arm. "Didja see where he went? I've been lookin' all night - well, after the rain stopped." He paused, but there was no immediate reply, so he went on: "I'm sure Hopper'll wanna leave too, he'll probably wanna get back to - " He stopped when he noticed everyone looking very uncomfortable and fidgeting. "What's goin' on?"

Flik couldn't stand it. After all the seasons of the grasshopper gang stealing the Colony's food, he had become familiar enough with Hopper's brother to know that he was an uncomplicated, almost childlike sort who would probably react badly to the news that Hopper had been eaten by a bird. Although Flik knew that he really shouldn't feel guilty...he did.

As the two spiders managed to free Blip and Flash as well as another of Molt's arms from the webbing, Flik stepped forward. Knowing what Flik was about to say, the Queen quickly shooed the curious workers away. "Hopper," began Flik, attempting to keep his gaze from dropping, "is not here...anymore."

"Ya mean he left already?" Molt began to really worry. "Oh geez...I gotta catch up to him. He probably went back south. We had a nice set-up down there. If I hurry, I can get there before - "

"No, he didn't leave," interrupted Flik.

Molt was confused. "But you said he was gone," he reminded the ant.

"Well I didn't mean, gone like that, I meant..." Flik trailed off.

Atta, who hadn't yet lost the edge of her anger, took over. "He means Hopper is dead," she told Molt. As soon as the words left her mouth she cringed inwardly at her own bluntness.

Molt just stared at her, his eyes round as her words sank in. "Hopper's...Hopper's...dead? He's dead?"

"I'm sorry," said Atta quietly, lowering her eyes.

"But he's...he's _dead?_" repeated Molt, shock giving way to mortification. "How could he be dead?" he demanded.

"It was a bird," explained Flik.

"A bird," moaned Molt, slumping forward and using his two free hands to cover his face. "Poor Hoppy. It's all my fault."

Dot, up on her piece of grass, watched silently.

"It's not your fault - " said Rosie.

"It is. I shouldn'ta flown away like that. I shouldn'ta left him. We were supposed to look out for eachother. We promised Ma..." Unable to speak any longer, Molt crumpled, gulping back tears.

"Oh..." said Atta, putting a hand on her chest. "I feel terrible," she whispered to Flik.

"So do I."

"What do we do?"

"I don't know." Flik looked around. The circus bugs were huddled together sadly, and even the Royal Council looked at a loss.

As Rosie pulled the last bit of webbing from Molt's back, she frowned. "Dr. Flora," she called. "I think you need to see this."

Dr. Flora, confused, walked up to Rosie. "What's the prob - Oh my," she remarked.

"What is it?" asked the Queen.

"Well the poor dear's wing is broken; just snapped in two," answered Dr. Flora with her usual bedside manner. "Must have landed on it when he fell out of the Tree. It'll need a splint."

"Mom," said Dot, finally flying down to stand next to Atta. "We gotta help him. Please?"

Her mother merely inclined her head. "Go on and take him to the Infirmary," she told Dr. Flora.

The two spiders helped Molt, who hadn't nearly composed himself, to stand, then Ymri and Dr. Flora led the grasshopper into the Anthill. They were closely followed by a curious Blip and Flash.

"All right then," Cornelius huffed. "We fix his wing and he leaves! We can't have a _grasshopper_ here."

"But he wouldn't be able to fly for weeks," said Gypsy, and she turned to her husband. "Do you remember dear, the time you broke your wing?"

"Ah yes," mused Manny thoughtfully. "The Amazing Submersible Capsule Disappearing Act. I was merely distracted that performance."

"That's because you were about to propose to me."

"But of course."

Thorny frowned. "It will be the dead of winter in a few weeks."

Cornelius sputtered. "We must get rid of him somehow!" he insisted.

Atta was offended. "How can you say that, Corny?" she challenged the elderly head of the Agriculture Department.

"Yeah," agreed Flik. "The poor guy just found out his brother was eaten by a bird."

"Served that assassin right!" went on Cornelius, waving his cane like a flag.

"All right, all right," cut in the Queen. "After Dr. Flora takes care of his wing, we'll have a private hearing tonight in the Colony Courtroom. We'll decide what to do then."

"I'm afraid that's not the only thing that needs deciding," announced Thorny, a bit timidly. "I've been surveying the damage to the Hill, and I found something disturbing."

"Oh not _that_," complained Cornelius gruffly. "I still say you're overreacting."

Thorny barely glanced at Cornelius. "And _who_ is Head of Engineering around here?" said the short ant dryly.

"Will you excuse us?" said the Queen to Flik and the circus bugs, taking Atta's arm. The two Royal Ants followed Thorny and Cornelius towards a pile of stones a yard or so away from the Hill.

"Well," said Francis to Flik after a moment. "You guys sure throw some interesting get-togethers."

Flik rolled his eyes at the sky. "And this place used to be so boring."


	3. Chapter Three

_Chapter III_

"You see, Your Majesty," explained Thorny, pointing to a spot on the ground, "how the soil has eroded here around the Sheltering Stones. You have to expect some erosion after a long period of time."

"Bah," sputtered Cornelius, smacking his cane on the ground. "This ground's as firm now as it was before I was born. That's why the Main Tunnel was dug under these stones - because they'll _always_ hold up."

"Well Atta, what do you think?"

Atta glanced at her mother, who smiled. "You have to make a decision, dear," the Queen told her. "Thorny wants to take workers away from waterproofing the Anthill to reinforce the Sheltering Stones. Cornelius says it's a waste of time and workers. As the Queen you'll have to make decisions like this all the time."

"I know." Atta frowned. This was a tough call to make, and she knew no one was going to help her. She looked at the spot Thorny had indicated. "So..." she began, "...so, the workers would have to pack more soil in here around the Sheltering Stones?"

Thorny shook his head. "It's not that simple, Your Highness," he tried to explain. "The addition of soil would have to take place _inside_ the tunnel, in the ceiling, which means the floor would have to be lowered so the passage wouldn't become too narrow - "

"A waste of time!" shouted Cornelius angrily. "Your Highness, those workers need to concentrate on waterproofing the ground around the Anthill and sealing up the back exits, not lollygaging around in the Main Tunnel _digging!_ Spring is for digging!"

"But if the ground becomes waterlogged it will be impossible to reinforce the ceiling then," argued Thorny. "If it _does_ collapse - "

"It will not collapse," Cornelius spat back with another smack of his cane. "The Sheltering Stones protect the Main Tunnel, and they always will!"

"Atta?" prompted the Queen.

Atta sighed. "All right," she said at last. "I...I think that maybe Thorny's right. Thorny, take as many workers as you need to reinforce the Main Tunnel."

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Thorny as Cornelius grumbled. The Head of the Engineering Department started off towards the Anthill, closely followed by Cornelius, who was still grumbling and muttering to himself about 'blasted progress'.

"Well that was a fairly...prompt decision." The Queen put a hand on Atta's shoulder.

"I just hope it was the _right_ decision."

"You worry too much dear."

"Well I knew _that_." Atta frowned at the sky. The sun, so warm and bright that morning, had since disappeared behind a barrier of steel-grey clouds, and the wind had begun to return with a chill as if to remind everyone that it was, indeed, the start of winter.

"It will rain soon," the Queen voiced Atta's silent concern. "I hope the workers get the back exits sealed up in time. You shouldn't get so worked up," she added, nudging her daughter. "You need to laugh everything off, like me." And the Queen laughed for demonstration.

Atta laughed too, but it was forced. "I'll have to write that one down," she said.

"Don't worry," said the Queen, giving her daughter's shoulder a pat. "You'll get the hang of it. Just...be natural. Come here, Aphie!"

Aphie yapped and scurried to his owner obediently. The Queen scooped him up. "Go back to your friends, dear," she said over her shoulder. "Just remember: Everything will be fine." And she walked away.

Atta watched her go, then went to look for Flik. When she found him, he was showing an odd-looking gadget made of twigs and dry leaves to Dot. Dot looked vaguely amused. The circus bugs were nowhere to be seen.

"Here," said Flik to Dot when he noticed Atta approaching. "Why don't you go see if you can make it work."

"But I don't - "

"Go on," smiled Atta, stepping up to Flik. Dot grudgingly took the contraption and ran off with it.

"So," said Flik. "I trust you attended to your Royal Duties?" He arched an eyeridge.

Atta exhaled. "I sure did," she said. "Flik, remind me to retire early."

"It's a deal." Flik frowned. "Is there something the matter?" he asked.

"Well, it's - " Atta considered. "It's just that...Why are all these complicated things happening _now_, while I'm training to be Queen? Why couldn't they have happened before, or...after, when I knew what I was doing?"

"Atta," said Flik, surprised. "You should be glad! Under circumstances like these, you're going to turn into a fabulous Queen!"

"Either that or the worst Queen this Island has ever seen."

"Not in a million years." Flik smiled. "As a matter of fact, _I_ think you're fabulous right now." And he boldly gave her a peck on the cheek. "It's going to be a great Winter. It might even be the best Winter we've ever had, who knows?"

Atta smiled. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Oops - I bent one'a the cards."

"Butterfingers," replied Blip. "You should oughta be more careful with them cards, they's Francis'. You know how he gets."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Flash examined his hand. "Um...I'll hit," he said.

Ymri passed the firefly a card.

"D'oh!" exclaimed Flash.

"Hah!" taunted the other firefly. "You busted. Hit me too, Ymri."

The spider passed Blip a card.

"Heh heh - D'oh!"

"Twenty," announced Ymri quietly, laying down his hand.

"Yeah, yeah," grunted Flash as the wolf spider gathered up the pot of grain. "You're the big winner. Is it my turn to deal yet or what?"

Ymri quietly collected cards from the fireflies and passed the deck to Flash.

"Now," said Flash smugly. "I'll show yous how a real classy dealer shuffles. Watch this."

Blip rolled his eyes. "Just don't hurt yourself."

"Me? Ha!" Flash began shuffling the cards quickly. "I never - Ow! I hurt myself!"

Ymri sighed and Blip grinned.

"What're ya grinnin' at, ya feeb?" demanded Flash sorely. "I'm bleedin' over here!"

"Well don't bleed on Francis' cards!" cried Blip, snatching the deck away.

"Thanks for your support," grumbled Flash, putting his cut finger into his mouth and sucking on it.

"Perhaps we should find our friend some first aid," said Ymri, standing up.

Blip put the deck down and stood up too. "Yeah, where's that lady doctor at? I'm sure she can kiss your boo-boo and make it all better."

Flash scowled but did not remove his finger from his mouth.

The spider and fireflies walked down the hallway to the door of the Infirmary, which was being guarded by two ants holding twigs.

"Excuse me please."

One of the two ants looked up. "Yes?"

"I wish to see the doctor," Ymri said.

"Yeah, us too," piped up Flash. He elbowed Blip.

"Oh uh, yeah," said Blip.

The other guard shook her head. "You can't," she monotoned. "No one's allowed in but the doctor and her assistant. There's a dangerous prisoner in there."

The first guard frowned. "But Quick," he said. "Isn't this is the guy who captured that grasshopper in the first place?"

Quick didn't look impressed. "So?"

The other ant shrugged. "So...doesn't that give him a right to go in and gloat, or something?"

Quick gave him a cold stare. "Flip, lay off of the detective comics. The prisoner is too dangerous to let just anyone stroll in."

"But look at him!" went on Flip urgently, gesturing at Ymri. "He could take on a _swarm_ of grasshoppers!"

"Oh, you bet!" intercepted Flash quickly. "Why just last week, there was this uh...cloud of gnats, see, and - "

Quick, who sensed a long and absurd farcical tale coming on, rolled her eyes. "All right," she interrupted the firefly. "If we let you in, will you shut up?"

Flash closed his mouth with a snap and nodded eagerly.

"Get in there, then." Quick pulled aside the leaf which covered the doorway. "Make it snappy."

The wolf spider and two fireflies stepped inside the Infirmary, taking a moment to let their eyes adjust to the dimmer light.

Blip elbowed Flash. "You gonna watch yourself?" he hissed.

"What're you babblin' about?" frowned Flash.

"This guy's brother just got offed," explained Blip. "Try to show a little...consideration. Don't go shootin' off yer mouth."

"All right, all done," Dr. Flora was saying, stepping back to examine her handiwork. "Now that splint needs to stay there for about two weeks, and no flying after that for about one week more. Cora," she called to her sister and assistant. "Will you get our patient some water?"

Cora put away the leftover first aid supplies and brought Molt a bead of dew, which he numbly accepted.

Dr. Flora looked across the room at Ymri, Blip, and Flash, who were still hovering near the door. "Are you staying here?" she mouthed. Ymri nodded wordlessly at her.

"All right well," went on the doctor, touching Molt on the shoulder, "I'll send Cora in with some food later. You just rest now, and I'll check on you tonight." And with that, Dr. Flora and Cora left.

When the ants had gone, Ymri approached Molt, who did not look up. "Please," the spider began quietly, "forgive me."

Now the grasshopper looked up, confused. "For what?"

"The web was mine," Ymri explained. "I apologize."

Molt shook his head. "The web don't matter."

"But you were injured."

"That don't matter either."

"Hey, look," said Blip, taking a seat next to Molt. "That was real rough, what happened to your brother."

"Yeah," agreed Flash, who sat next to Blip, his little cut forgotten. "We're real sorry. I'd be upset too, if one of _my_ brothers got offed. Unless it was Sputter, I hate that guy - Ow!" Flash cried as Blip elbowed him. "...But he owes me money!"

Molt, oblivious to the fireflies, just stared down at the bead of dew he was holding. "I just can't believe this happened," he said. "Hop was the greatest. He could take on anybody, anytime, anyplace. I even saw him climb right out of a bird's mouth before."

"Sounds like he was a lucky guy," commented Blip.

Ymri spread out his arms. "Unfortunately luck is like river," he remarked. "It can run dry."

"And how," grunted Flash. Blip elbowed him again. "Hey," said Flash to Molt, shoving Blip back, "what're ya gonna do now?"

The grasshopper shook his head. "I dunno," he said. "I guess I'm like...a prisoner of war or somethin'."

Flash's eyes widened. "Gee, do ya think they'll execu - "

Ymri hastily rapped the firefly on the head to silence him. "These ants are peaceful people," the spider said. "I am sure they will not harm you." He shot Flash a cold look. Flash smiled apologetically.

"I'm sure everythin' will be fine," said Blip firmly. "Hey," he said after a moment's thought. "You ever play _Hornet's Revenge_, buddy?"

Molt was confused. "Huh?"

"Yeah!" enthused Flash excitedly. "That game requires four players! We ain't never been able to play it before!"

"It'll be a snap to teach ya the rules," went on Blip. "And..." he continued, leaning towards Molt conspiratorially, "don't choose Flash as a partner. He always botches team games."

Flash made a face.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Flik and Atta went for a walk, circling the Tree once, and then watching Mr. Soil orchestrate the sealing of the back exits, which involved the combined effort of very nearly every ant in the Colony. But it got done, and Atta finally began to relax.

"There, see? The big job is done."

Atta allowed Flik to lead her partway up the Tree so they could watch the sinking sun reflect on the River, but before the sun could touch upon the horizon the rain returned. Quickly, all the ants descended into the Anthill, and the Main Entrance was sealed for the Winter.


	4. Chapter Four

_Chapter IV_

"Ah I luf dandelions!" enthused Heimlich, reaching for another leaf.

"And I love dandelion wine." Slim leaned back and examined his drop of wine with a critical eye. He sniffed it delicately, then took a tiny sip, swishing it around in his mouth. "Ah," he said at last. "Very nice."

Francis gulped down his whole drop at once. "Yeah it's great. Pass the berries."

"Well, the rain has started," announced Atta as she and Flik entered the Dining Hall. "I hope the workers waterproofed the Hill enough."

"It will be fine," said the Queen smoothly. "Don't hog the wine, there, Slim," she told the walkingstick. Then she turned to her daughter, who sat between her and Flik. "You _are_ prepared to head the hearing tonight, aren't you?"

Atta nodded. "I sent Cora to let Molt know about it and bring him some food. I'm not exactly looking forward to it. Should one grasshopper be punished for something an entire swarm did?"

"That's diplomacy for you," P.T. told her. "You want _my_ opinion?"

The flea received flat stares all around.

"What _I_ think," P.T. went on, taking that as a cue to continue, "is that there's no way you're ever gonna catch all those other terrorists, so yeah, you should take it out on the one you managed to capture. Make an example of him."

"But it's cruel," protested Gypsy.

P.T. shrugged. "That's the way the poodle scratches."

Atta, wishing to change the subject, cleared her throat. "So, P.T.," she said. "When did you decide to go into show business?"

Muffled choking sounds and general looks of horror from the circus performers tipped Atta off that she might have chosen the wrong subject to switch to.

"Well it's interesting that you should ask that," beamed the flea, putting his hands on the table and puffing up proudly. "It all started back when I was a larva - "

"Your Highness!..Your Highness?"

Atta started and looked around at the approaching figure. "Yes Thorny, what is it?"

Thorny, who had been running, paused to catch his breath. "It - It's the Main Tunnel," he panted. "There's some seepage. It's too wet to repair by conventional means. If it doesn't stop on its own..." He took a breath.

"I keep telling you, you're wasting the Colony's time." Cornelius' voice drifted to the Dining Hall from further up the passageway. Evidently the elderly Head of Agriculture was not in nearly as much of a hurry to arrive as Thorny had been. "A little seepage is normal and nothing to be so twisted up about."

Thorny glanced over his shoulder at the source of the voice, then turned back to Atta. "Princess Atta," he went on, his tone very serious, "this could be very bad."

Atta didn't need this. "I don't need this," she murmured to herself. She stood up. "Everyone please excuse me," she addressed the others, then followed Thorny out of the room.

"Your Majesty?" Rosie frowned. "What's going on?"

The Queen sighed and shook her head. "The Main Tunnel is the passage that connects the main part of the Anthill - the food storerooms, the Hospital, all the community rooms like this one - with the residential chambers. Thorny is concerned that the stones on the surface which are right over the Main Tunnel may be wearing away the ground."

"Ack!" said Flik. "If the ceiling gives in this rain - "

"Why that would be catastrophic!" Manny looked at the Queen. "Your Majesty, should this disaster occur - "

Just then Cornelius hobbled furiously into the Dining Hall, waving his cane like a signal flare. "It's a disaster!" he cried.

Flik and the circus bugs blinked at eachother for a moment, then plowed past the elderly ant and down the passage after Atta.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"All right! More moss over here! Where are the twigs? Good - take them to Team Seven!"

Atta, oblivious to Thorny's authoritative orders to the workers, stared in horror at the trickle of water that had begun to flow down the wall of the Main Tunnel and into a black puddle in the floor. She knew as well as any ant that where there was a tiny trickle of water there would soon be a torrent, then a deluge. The Princess watched as a team of ants bravely attacked the crack in the ceiling with moss and twigs, then turned as she heard several larger insects approaching.

"Atta!" shouted Flik, beating the circus bugs to the Princess. "How does it look?"

"Horrible! It's horrible!" cried a nearby worker. "We're all going to be washed away!"

"Please get a handle on yourself, Clack," admonished Mr. Soil in disgust. "You are lowering the workers' morale again. I shall have to write you up. Chase," he said, turning to a short ant at his elbow, "write Clack up - again."

Chase dutifully made a mark on a leaf he was holding.

Heimlich gasped. "Is it true? Are we all doomed?"

Mr. Soil sniffed. "Certainly not," he answered. "It's all a matter of positive thinking."

The trickle began to grow. The workers scurried more frantically.

"I'm positively thinking that we're all doomed," Francis told the caterpillar. Heimlich made a whimpering noise.

"Francis!" warned Rosie. Then she turned to the Princess. "Atta, we'll help in any way we can."

Atta breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said. "Thorny," she called, "what can the circus troupe do?"

The Head of Engineering considered a moment. "...Make the rain stop?"

"...Thorny!"

But Flik had gotten a gleam in his eye. "No!" he exclaimed. "That's it!"

Atta and the circus bugs gaped at him. "Flik," began Atta in exasperation.

"No, no!" went on Flik, waving his hands in the air. "We can go above ground and put something over the Sheltering Stones to keep the rain out so the other workers can get this repaired."

"And what exactly - "

"We could use the tent," suggested Gypsy.

"Oh no!" protested P.T., planting his tiny hands on his diminutive hips. "Not _my_ tent! It cost me a fortune! I won't have it set up out in the rain - "

Flik beamed. "That's a _great_ idea, Gypsy!"

"Hurry - let's go hitch up the millipedes," said Slim.

But before they could begin to carry out their plan, the cries of the workers snapped their attention back to the plight of the Main Tunnel. The tiny hairline crack in the ceiling had turned into a bonefide hole, and water was sloshing into the passage at an alarming rate. The force of the water made a furrow in the already soft passage floor.

"There's no time for the tent, my friends!" voiced Manny. "Our help is needed here!"

Everyone clamored to gather up moss, shreds of leaf, and even the glowing mushrooms from the walls to use in patching up the hole. Rosie donated some webbing, and a sticky mass was fashioned within seconds.

Several ants - Flik included - assembled themselves into a living pyramid, and Tuck and Roll scuttled to the top, just high enough to reach the hole. The plug was passed up to Tuck and he tried to push it in place - but he wasn't strong enough to fight the pressure. The pyramid stumbled backwards, and the pillbugs lost their balance.

"Oh no!" wailed Rosie as Tuck and Roll tumbled into the water-filled trench in the floor. "They can't swim!"

"Francis!" shouted Slim. Francis, not missing a beat, grabbed Slim by the legs and thrust the walkingstick's top half into the black water.

"Get them out of there!" ordered P.T. in a panic. "I'd never be able to sell off that wreck of a cannon!"

The worker ants, meanwhile, steadied their pyramid and Clack, piteously protesting, was urged to climb to the top. Atta picked up the makeshift plug and flew it up to him, then they both tried forcing it into the hole.

Francis pulled Slim out of the water. Slim was coughing and empty-handed. "I can't find them! It's too dark!"

As if on cue, Blip and Flash - who had heard the shouting - came flying down the passage, brilliantly illuminating the crisis. They were closely followed by Quick and Flip. Apparently the two guard ants had abandoned their post in favor of finding out what was causing all the commotion.

"Gack!" commented Flash, looking around. "This place is a mess!"

"Blip!" shouted Francis urgently. "We need your butt down here!"

Blip obediently zoomed down to land on Slim's shoulders, facing backwards. Slim went into the water again.

"Is it all right? Is it holding?"

Atta strained against the water pressure. "Not...yet," she shouted down to Rosie. "It's...giving..."

"It's giving the wrong way!" yiped Clack.

Unfortunately the paranoid ant was right. The ceiling of the Main Tunnel, subject to decades of erosion, had finally given up under the weight of the rocks above. The Sheltering Stones were about to make an unscheduled visit to the Colony's living space.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" cried Atta, dropping the plug and pulling Clack away from the sinking ceiling.

The insects scattered in the only two directions they could go as a black rock began to slowly peek through the saturated ceiling on its way down. Water and mud poured in around it, filling the passage.

Slim emerged from the puddle, a pillbug tucked under each of his upper arms. Francis, who saw the avalanche of mud coming right for them, yelled and ran in the opposite direction, toting the walkingstick with him.

The passageway sloped down towards the Anthill, so the Sheltering Stone began to slide in that direction. Dim saw this and charged, attempting to hold it back with his weight. The rock slowed, but it didn't stop. The workers who had wound up on the Hill side of the rock, as well as Flik, Atta, and the circus bugs who were able, attempted to help push, but the floor was very soft and they all began to sink dangerously. In the end, only Dim was able to continue pushing, but it wasn't enough.

A loud "Oh my stars!" announced the arrival of Dr. Flora. The short ant stared at the scene in shock for a moment, then spotted Slim carefully laying Tuck and Roll down on the ground. The pillbugs were sputtering and feebly moving their antennae.

"Oh dear," said Dr. Flora. "Cora!" she called to her sister, who appeared in short order. "Help me carry them to the Infirmary."

On their way back down the tunnel, the doctor and her sister passed Ymri and Molt, who had set off to see what the fireflies had found.

Blip and Flash zipped down to meet them. "Disaster! Avalanche! Panic!" they shouted.

The spider and the grasshopper didn't waste any time. They rushed at the rock and put their weight against it. Finally, the stone slowed, slowed, then stopped.

"All right everyone! Pack moss and mud around that rock - Pronto!" ordered Thorny, taking charge again.

Workers busied themselves around the halted rock, and soon the Sheltering Stone was dormant again. Everyone - muddied and exhausted - leaned against the walls and panted.

"Oh...oh..." panted Atta, trying to regain some sort of composure. "That was really close."

"Yeah," agreed Flik, wiping mud out of his eyes. "But we got it."

"Just _look_ at the tunnel!" said Mr. Soil with a mixture of horror and amazement. "It's completely sealed off!"

And so it was. Nearly a foot of the tunnel's length had collapsed, and there was positively no way to get through.

"What about all the workers trapped on the other side?" Gypsy wanted to know. "They have no way out."

Francis frowned. "I thought anthills had back exits..?"

Atta shook her head. "Oh, no," she answered. "They have been sealed for the Winter, and it took everybody to do it. It would take everybody to undo it - and half the Colony is trapped in there."

"_More_ than half, I'd say," guessed Thorny.

"Then," reasoned Slim, "the only thing to do is start work on a new tunnel, around the obstruction."

"Yeah and the workers on the other side can dig too, and we'll meet in the middle."

"But Francis," frowned Rosie, "how do we know they'll dig on the same side that we do?"

"They'll dig on that side," answered Flik, pointing to his left.

"Yeah?" said Francis. "How do you figure?"

"It's the north. Always dig to the north. Right Thorny?"

Thorny was pleased by Flik's show of digging know-how. "That's right."

"Well," said Atta, "then that's what we'll do."

"But," put in Thorny, "there are still a couple of problems."

"Problems?"

Thorny nodded. "One: It's too wet to construct a new tunnel. It wouldn't be structurally sound."

"What about the tent?" asked Dim.

"No!" howled P.T. "_Not_ the tent!"

"The tent!" affirmed Flik. "Yes! Some of us will go above ground and set up the tent!"

"Problem number two," Thorny cut in before the flea could launch into a full-fledged protest, "is food. The workers on the other side will need some food - and possibly medical attention, come to think of it."

"But we can't get into the other side of the tunnel," Rosie reminded him.

"I know," answered Thorny. "That's why it's such a problem."

Atta took a deep breath. "I think we're going to have to have a different hearing than the one we had originally planned."


	5. Chapter Five

_Chapter V_

All of the adults left on the Hill side of the cave-in were summoned to the Royal Courtroom to determine what action was to be taken. Molt was sent back to the Infirmary to have his muddy splint and bandages changed. Tuck and Roll, it turned out, had both swallowed a great deal of water and mud and were for the time being quite ill. Dr. Flora had left the three of them in Cora's care in order to attend the hearing. Dot and the other children were sent off to sleep, quite forcibly where necessary, as many of them - Dot included - were adamant on coming to the meeting. But eventually the last child was tucked into bed and the hearing began.

"It's true," Atta began, "that we can't get any food or medical supplies to the workers on the other side of the cave-in. So we will have to begin work on the new tunnel as soon as possible. But, Thorny has pointed out that the ground is too wet for digging. Flik here - " she indicated the ant at her side, who waved feebly - "has volunteered to head an excursion above ground to set up a tent to keep the rain away from the digging site."

The workers murmured. Above ground, in the rain! It was a suicide mission.

"The digging will have to wait until the tent is in place. Thorny will keep watch in the tunnel to see when the ground has become dry enough to dig. Hopefully the workers on the other side will take the same cue. Flik? Who will be going with you?"

"We all will," Slim answered for the ant, indicating the circus performers as well as the crew. "We've worked together to put up the tent many times before. Unfortunately we'll be missing Tuck and Roll, but we should be able to manage."

Atta paused. "P.T., are you going too?" she asked.

P.T. gave an exasperated grunt. "No I _won't_," he said.

"But P.T.," said Heimlich, "we need jou to drife the wagon!"

"You're _not_ taking my wagon," answered the flea gruffly. "Take the tent if you have to, but no one is touching my wagon but me, and that's final."

Rosie heaved a sigh. "All right," she said sarcastically. "Dim can carry the tent and we'll all walk in the mud."

"Now you're talkin'," responded P.T.

"We've decided to leave right away," said Flik before anyone could complain. "There's no time to waste."

Atta nodded. "Very well Flik. Let's go."

Flik staggered. "'Let's'?"

"Atta!" exclaimed the Queen, rising out of her chair. "_You_ can't go!"

"Mother, I have to," Atta tried to explain. "If I'm going to be Queen I have to do whatever I can to ensure the safety of the Colony, don't I? You heard Slim; without Tuck and Roll they're going to need extra hands and those belong to Flik and myself."

The Queen slowly sat. "All right then," she said.

"Your Majesty!" hissed Cornelius.

"Can it, Corny."

"This meeting is adjourned." Atta rapped her stone gavel on the podium and stepped down.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Team Alpha (so they were christened by Thorny) were all set to move by the time the sun had begun to rise over Ant Island's neighboring strawberry patch. The heavy tent was all bundled up and strapped to Dim's back with several ropes made of dried strips of dandelion stalk, and rations of food were packaged in preserved berry peel and fashioned into packs for the bugs to carry. Medical supplies, too, were handed out among the team members, and the Main Entrance was unsealed (not being as heavy a task as unsealing the back exits).

"But Mom!" Dot, who had been unable to sleep the night before and had early on discovered her sister packing to leave, was resolute. "If Atta gets to go, I do too!"

"Nonsense, Dot," replied the Queen.

"Yeah, Dot," Atta said, "you _can't_ go."

"Why not?" demanded the little Princess.

"Because you have to help your mother run the Colony," Flik broke in swiftly. He threw a prodding look at Atta.

"Oh - right!" Atta pretended to agree. "You'll have to take over for me as Queen-In-Training."

This didn't convince Dot. "But I want to go!" she insisted.

"Goodbye! Bye!" said Atta loudly, pulling Flik after her out of the Anthill's main entrance.

"Um...bye!" Flik joined Atta in waving to the ants staying behind - as well as P.T., who was scowling at the departure of his tent. "We'll be back soon! Nobody worry!"

"Good luck!" shouted Dr. Flora.

"Do you think they'll make it?" Thorny asked the rest of the Royal Council as soon as Team Alpha was well on their way down the Anthill.

"Not a chance," huffed Cornelius. "Why, they'll be nothing but little smears of mud by noon! Well, except for that beetle, he'll be a big smear of mud."

"Cornelius!" cried the Queen, covering Dot's ears.

But Dot wasn't concerned. "I never get to do anything," she said, apparently her role as the voice of the 'bird' that scared off the grasshopper gang not counting as anything. She wiggled away from her mother and buzzed off to find something interesting to do.

Outside, Team Alpha was trying to cope with the muddy ground. It had stopped raining, but sinking into the mud became a very real possibility. They quickly discovered that if they walked only on decaying leaves, that they at least wouldn't sink - although the smell wasn't the most pleasant.

Slim was cursing P.T. "Miserable parasite," he grumbled. "Couldn't even allow his own hard-working employees borrow his team and wagon..."

"So how far have we got to go?" Francis wondered.

Flik frowned at the western horizon. "It's not normally very far," said the ant, and he rubbed his antennae. "But we can't make a beeline if we have to walk only on these leaves. It could be an hour or more."

"And then we's gotta figure out how to pitch the tent in the muck," supplied Flash cheerfully. Blip elbowed him.

"That's right," said Flik thoughtfully, slowing for a moment. "I forgot."

"We'll figure it out," Atta assured him. But now she was more worried than ever. ..._Be natural_, she told herself. _Laugh it off_.

"...What's _she_ laughing about?" Francis whispered to Heimlich, who shrugged.

Flik knew what was wrong, however, and nudged Atta. Atta knew what the nudge meant and took Flik's hand. The two ants sighed and trudged along.

There was a rumble of thunder, off in the distance. The bugs all paused and look nervously at the sky.

"Greeeaaat," commented Francis, rolling his eyes. "Nice plan, Flik."

"Will we make it there and back in time?" worried Gypsy.

"No," Slim answered her as a drop of rain crashed nearby.

"We have to keep going," said Atta firmly, pulling her hand out of Flik's. "The Colony is depending on us."


	6. Chapter Six

_Chapter VI_

P.T. chomped on a thorn cigar and inhaled its smoke sourly. _Rotten Anthill_, he thought. _Swell time to have a crisis_. He leaned against the tunnel wall and gazed into the distance, plotting various versions of revenge on Flik if anything happened to the circus tent.

"Mom! Mom!" Dot careened down the passageway, nearly bowling the flea over in her exuberance.

P.T. picked up his thorn, which he had dropped in surprise at Dot's appearance. "Hey hey hey, watch it, short stuff," he grumped at the tiny Princess. "What's the emergency?"

Dot stared at P.T. with wide eyes. "I gotta find my mom!" she said. "The rain is back and it brought thunder and lightning and wind this time!"

The flea gasped in horror. "Lightning?" he cried. "Good grief my tent! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" he shrieked, as he and Dot took off down the hallway together.

"What's all this?" huffed Mr. Soil, trotting after them. "Don't you know the Queen is napping?"

"But we gotta talk to my mom!" protested Dot.

"I am sorry, young Princess," answered Mr. Soil, who really wasn't very sorry at all. "You will have to wait."

"But - " began P.T.

"_You_ will have to wait as well," responded Mr. Soil, gazing steadily at the flea. Then the tall ant pushed past the both of them and disappeared around a bend in the corridor.

"Terrific staff you have here," remarked P.T. darkly. "Very courteous."

But Dot was thinking too hard to listen. Now that she considered it, the Queen probably would decree that nothing could be done to help Team Alpha and to just hope for the best. That wasn't good enough.

"We have to go after them," reasoned Dot at last.

"We?" demanded the flea, his small eyes widening. "_Who_ we?"

"_Us_ we," answered Dot.

P.T. threw his hands into the air. "This place is a loony bin!" he cried. "You're crackers, every last one of you!"

Dot threw the flea a withering look. "I think we will need the circus wagon."

P.T. trembled. But at last he knew he had lost the fight. "Oh," he said, rolling his eyes. "Yeah...yeah you're right. I'm throwing in the towel on this one. But _no one_," he added quickly, waggling a finger at Dot, "_no one_ drives those millipedes but me! Understand?"

"Deal." Dot frowned. "But we'll need more help. Come on." And she headed down the tunnel, the flea following her reluctantly.

They reached the Infirmary, where Quick and Flip were stationed once again. They were speaking with Cora, Clack, and Chase. During the circus troupe's stay on the island, they had found themselves drawn under the tutelage of Tuck and Roll, who had taught them some basic tumbling. During the grasshopper attack two days ago, these five ants had formed a team to help fight the grasshoppers as a living, tumbling wheel. Ever since, they had been fast friends.

Dot brightened when she saw them. _They_ would volunteer to help the circus bugs for sure. She dragged a grumbling P.T. forward and blurted out an explanation.

Cora gasped. "They'll never be able to set up a tent in the wind!" she pointed out.

"I knew the whole thing was a bad idea," moaned Clack.

"Well...well we'll have to go help them."

Quick glowered at Chase. "Forget it," she told him. "We are an efficient Colony. Nothing is to be done without express orders from the Royal Family or Council."

Flip had to agree. "What kind of Anthill would this be, if everyone just did what they wanted?" he asked.

"What kind of an Anthill is it now?" wondered P.T.

Dot stood up straight. "_I'm_ part of the Royal Family," she announced firmly, and everyone turned to look at her.

Flip scratched his head. "Well what do you know," he remarked. "So you are. Huh."

Cora became thoughtful. "If I'm going to leave the Anthill," she said, "I will have to bring Tuck and Roll. They're doing better, but I can't leave them with no medical attention. Flora's too busy getting ready to receive the ants from the other side of the cave-in to care for them adequately."

P.T. was skeptical. "Look," he interrupted, "I know ants are strong for their size, but they weigh next to nothing. How do you think you'll be able to hold the tent down in that wind?"

Clack shivered. "He's right! Forget it, we're all doomed!"

Cora rolled her eyes at him, then looked back at Dot. "Well, Princess," she said gently. "Now what?"

Dot only had to consider for a second. "That big grasshopper was able to stop that rock last night," she said. "I bet he could help."

Everyone stared at her. "_Grasshopper?_" cried Clack, looking very likely to faint. "No! Oh, no!"

"That grasshopper is a vicious gangster!" P.T. reminded Dot. "You can't just let him go gallivanting around - "

Dot pointed at Quick and Flip. "But they're his guards," she said. "They'll watch him."

The two ants in question glanced at eachother. "Yep yep yep," said Flip at last, puffing himself up proudly. "We can handle that wimpy li'l katydid."

Quick rubbed her temples. "Flip...he's massive," she said, but Flip pointedly ignored her, so intent was he in flexing his nonexistent muscles.

"Well...I haven't had any problems with him," Cora said. "I guess...we have to do what we have to do."

"Crackers," was all P.T. could say.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Run!" screamed Heimlich, waddling for cover as fast as his short legs could carry him. Tremendous raindrops crashed all around, denting the mud and shaking the Earth. Technically, of course, it was the thunder doing that, but to the bugs, it seemed as if the rain was consciously attacking.

Finally all the members of Team Alpha had scrambled under some drooping, wide stalks of grass. The sky lit up with lightning briefly, and the thunder crashed again.

"Oh Flik!" moaned Atta, shivering at the other ant's side. "This is hopeless!" She berated herself for saying so, but she really felt it was true.

"No, Atta!" Flik shouted back over the roar of the wind. "We _have_ to keep going! Think of the Colony!"

"Forget it, Flik!" Francis wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to fend off the cold. "We'll never make it! We have to go back!"

"What about the ants?" Dim wanted to know. "What about the kids?"

Francis froze. He had forgotten about the kids.

Rosie shook her head. "Flik's right; we have to go on," she told everyone. "There's too much at stake."

Everyone knew the spider was right. "That tightwad P.T.!" swore Slim yet again. "If only he had let us use the wagon!"

"No," disagreed Gypsy, clinging to her husband. "The millipedes would have spooked at the lightning."

"That's true," Slim admitted reluctantly. "Yes - you're right."

"Come on!" shouted Flik, and the others followed him back into the storm.

"Geez," said Flash to Ymri and Blip as they stepped back out into the rain. "We'll never be able to set the tent up in this wind."

"I'm with you," agreed Blip immediately. He and Flash leaned against Ymri briefly as a gust threatened to carry the two fireflies away. "I think we'll deserve a dental plan after this."

Inch by painful inch, Team Alpha worked its way towards the Sheltering Stones, looming black in the distance.


	7. Chapter Seven

_Chapter VII_

"Hyah! Get up, Meeni! Ha! Woah Myni! Steady there, girl." P.T. drove the wagon out of the Anthill and into the rain carefully. The millipedes were none too pleased about being out in the storm, and it had taken the flea several bits of dried honeycomb to convince them to move at all.

"Oh...just in time," remarked Chase, watching the crowd of worker ants who had been in charge of the wagon stop chasing them at the Anthill entrance and duck back in to escape the rain.

"Now _everyone_ is going to know we've gone out after Team Alpha," fretted Clack. "We're wagon-stealers!"

"Oh knock it off," said P.T. irritably. "I can't steal my _own_ wagon. Sheesh."

Tuck and Roll however, who were feeling much better today, were having a grand time. They sat just behind P.T. and cheered with excitement, as they had all throughout the wagon hijacking.

"Yeah yeah, wahoo," P.T. grunted at them. "Now get inside."

Dot shivered as the cold hit her. "Are you going to be okay by yourself, Mr. Flea?" she asked him again.

"Fine, I'll be fine. Now go below."

Dot followed the pillbugs and other ants into the wagon's front car and joined Molt. The grasshopper was as worried as Clack.

"I dunno about this," he started up again as soon as everyone was inside. "I don't need this kinda trouble."

"It's okay," Dot told him. "You won't be in trouble after you help to save everybody."

"That _would_ be poor form," agreed Cora.

Molt just shook his head and wished he had stayed in the Infirmary. He also wished Ymri, Blip and Flash had stayed with him; they were very civil to him - a rare occurrence - and their games helped keep his mind off of visions of Hopper being eaten by a bird.

Above, P.T. wasn't having an easy time guiding the wagon through the slick mud and crashing raindrops. There was a flare of lightning and Myni shied, frightening Meeni and nearly knocking over the wagon altogether. But P.T. was determined to keep this from happening and skillfully calmed the animals, then continued to drive them into the storm. He only hoped Dot's directions to the Sheltering Stones were correct. She was a cute enough little girl but sometimes the flea didn't know how to react to kids. Which was odd, perhaps, as the entertainment of children was a large part of his own business.

The Earth trembled slightly as a wave of thunder rolled over the Island. Meeni and Myni whimpered but scuttled on, urged on by their master. For a moment, P.T. envied their simple minds. They had no idea how bad this storm could get.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"How bad is this storm gonna get?" howled Francis, hanging on to a crackly stalk of dried-up grass for dear life.

"This is absurd!" agreed Slim, lying flat on the ground so he wouldn't blow away.

Dim was the only member of the party undaunted by the wind. "We gotta go," he insisted to the others, and continued his slow plod towards the Stones.

One by one, the bugs disengaged themselves from the vegetation and eachother and crawled - on their bellies - after the beetle.

And like a miracle, they all made it.

"Oh...oh..." panted Atta, at a loss for anything else. Flik quickly led everyone to the leeside of the Sheltering Stones, out of the wind.

"We'll be okay now," he said.

"But how," pondered Manny, "shall we ever get the tent up in this vicious gale?"

"Not to mention the rain," added Gypsy.

"Don't forget the mud!" beamed Flash.

Flik exhaled. "Maybe," he thought aloud, "maybe...the eye of the storm will pass over us."

"Flik, that's a shot in the dark," argued Francis. "This storm might not even have an eye."

Heimlich clasped his hands together at the thought of them at the mercy of a blind storm.

"Well what do you want me to say?" responded Flik in exasperation. "We're here now - there's got to be something we can do...if we wait..."

No one could think of a good argument against that, so they all leaned against the wet Stones and watched the sky. The clouds looked angry: grey and roiling. But - as they soon discovered - the rain was letting up. And soon, too, the wind eased its fury somewhat.

"We've got to try now!" shouted Flik. "It might be the only chance we have!"

Quickly, the bugs organized themselves. The tent was detached from Dim's back and spread out on a patch of ground near the Stones - Slim explained to the ants that it would be easier to stretch it out on the flat ground and then move it over the bulky rocks. Hammers, stakes, and ropes were pulled from their bundles and distributed around the tent.

The one thing, of course, that they didn't have was the center post. It was impossible to keep one with the circus supplies at all times so P.T. routinely sent Dim and a few of the others to fetch one upon reaching each site. This time, it was hoped that one wasn't needed at all. After all, they just wanted to cover the Stones.

The bugs started to drag the unfurled tent over the rocks. The oiled canvas was very heavy, and didn't want to slide easily over the muddy Earth, so it was slow going. Flik kept glancing nervously at the sky. But the rain was still absent and the wind did not return fullforce.

"I think this is going to work, Flik!" cried Atta, her hopes soaring.

The bugs succeeded in covering the Stones with the tent. But it was very clear that the stakes were never going to adequately anchor it in the mud.

"Vat can ve do to make it shtay?" Heimlich worried.

"I suppose we could sit out here all Winter and just hold it down," grumped Francis sourly.

Rosie refused to believe that there was no hope. "Maybe we should - " she began, but didn't get to finish as a familiar voice called out in the distance:

"That's it: this is the _last_ time I play Good Samaritan! I should have been a phlebotomist like Dad."

"It's P.T.," Slim wondered more than stated.

Indeed, the circus wagon appeared around the Stones and rolled into view. Meeni and Myni gave a whimper of exhaustion and collapsed in the mud. P.T., who had spotted Team Alpha, was livid.

"You!" he shouted, pointing a wavering finger at Flik. "I'm gonna - "

"Flik!" cried Dot happily, emerging from the wagon's front car. She flew to Flik's side and beamed.

"Dot!" gasped Atta. "Why...what..."

"I brought help," supplied the tiny Princess, puffing a bit proudly.

The other passengers of the front car stepped out and waved feebly.

"Ooh!" cried Heimlich. "This is vonderful!"

"Not really," frowned Francis. "We still gotta problem, remember?"

"What's the problem?" asked Cora.

Flik gestured tiredly at the mud. "We can't stake the tent down, the ground is too wet."

"Can we dry out the ground?"

Quick narrowed her eyes at Flip. "Flip you dolt," she growled, "that's what the tent is supposed to do!"

"Oh," said Flip. But then he had another thought. "Why don't we get some dry dirt to put down?"

Quick reared back to punch Flip in the arm, but then she froze.

Chase frowned when he saw Quick's expression. "What is it?"

Quick shook her head. "Sand," she said.

Atta blinked at her, then her eyes practically popped out of her head as she realized what Quick meant. "_Sand!_" she blurted. "Oh, Flik, the _sand!_"

Francis threw his arms wide. "_What_ sand?" he demanded. "What the heck are you guys talking about?"

Flik turned to Francis, the old gleam back in his eye. "A long time ago," he began, "our scouts came across a large, shiny red container filled with sand. The workers moved it into an abandoned burrow under some bushes - sand is useful to have around. It's _got_ to be dry. We can go get some, and spread it out on the ground here."

"Well..." frowned Gypsy. "Where is it? And how will we carry it?"

"It's not far from here. And we can use the wagon."

At that, P.T. sprang down to the ground to confront Flik.

"_No_ one is going to fill my precious wagon with _sand_," he growled ominously at the ant. "You hear me?"

"P.T., what's wrong with you?" snapped Rosie, losing nearly all patience. "All those ants, trapped in that tunnel - they could die! And you're worried about a little...a little _sand_ in your wagon?"

P.T. opened his mouth to shout at Rosie, but nothing came out. So he shut it. He looked around at everyone. They were all staring a bit coldly at him. Suddenly he felt even smaller than he was. "Sand it is," he said at last, managing a weak smile.

"But who vill be going to get the sand?"

Atta glanced at Heimlich. "That's right," she mused. "We can't _all_ go." She surveyed the assembly of various insects. "Let's see," she began, "we'll need P.T. to drive the wagon...Flik to direct the way to the burrow...Blip or Flash to light the way when the sun starts to set..." She frowned, then noticed Molt hovering near the wagon. "You...Molt," she said carefully, not wanting to hurt his feelings - as she was still very sorry for the way she spoke to him the previous morning. "I'm glad you came."

Molt was genuinely surprised. "You are?"

Atta nodded. She really was - that big grasshopper was just the ticket to loading the sand onto the wagon. "We need your help, too. Will you go?"

Molt couldn't remember the last time someone had needed his help before Dot - and now Atta. "Well...okay," he answered.

"Won't you come, too, Atta?" implored Flik.

"Yeah," said Flash, who had already elbowed past Blip to stand next to the circus wagon. "We need a supervisor or somethin'."

"What about us?" grumped Blip, surly at the knowledge that he was staying behind.

"Why don't you put Dot in charge?" suggested P.T. after a bit of silence all around. "She can be a very persuasive young lady."

Dot smiled. "I can do it, Atta," she told her sister. "You go with Flik."

Atta paused, then nodded. "All right," she agreed.

P.T. sprang back up to the top of the wagon's front car and took the millipedes' reins. "You bozos better take care of that tent," he said, but with no trace of gruffness this time.

"All right, Team Beta, let's go," announced Flik, climbing into the wagon. Atta, Flash, and Molt followed him.

"Good luck!" called Rosie, waving, as the wagon began pulling out.

"Hurry back," muttered Francis, and he frowned at the sky.

Slim shook his head. "I don't know if we can do this before the storm picks up again," he said.

Dot put her hands on her hips. "We'll do it, you'll see," she said firmly. And she believed it, too.


	8. Chapter Eight

_Chapter VIII_

After relaying the simple directions to P.T. on how to reach the cache of sand, Flik settled back into the wagon beside Atta. Flash was sitting beside Molt on the other side of the car, eagerly trying to explain the daunting rules of _Tunnel Raid_ to the grasshopper, who frankly looked confused but listened politely nonetheless.

Atta smiled at Flik. "It's been quite a year," she couldn't help remarking. "I was raised to believe that running an Anthill was a predictable affair."

"You're lucky, then," Flik grinned back. "This will look great on your resume."

Atta laughed at the thought of a Queen Ant needing a resume for anything. "Everyone's right about you, Flik. You're one weird little bug."

Flik beamed. "That's me. Ulp!" he cried, as the wagon lurched violently, surprising everyone.

Atta poked her head out of the back of the car. "P.T., what is it?"

"Woah - _Woah_ girls!" P.T. was struggling with the reins. "We're bogged down! Just hang on." The flea pulled on the reins to control the nervous millipedes then flicked the reins suddenly. Meeni and Myni jumped forward, yanking the wagon out of the patch of deep mud - and right into a deeper one. The millipedes floundered and began to panic.

Flik climbed out and hopped onto the top of the back car. He was about to tell P.T. about staying on the dead leaves, but there were too few around to be useful. Beneath him, he could feel the wagon beginning to sink.

Flash darted out of the wagon and hovered nervously above it. "Whaddawe do, whaddawe do?" he cried.

Flik suddenly hopped off the wagon. "Atta!" he shouted. "I need you!..We'll be right back!" he announced over his shoulder. "Just hang on, everybody!" He waded through the mud (not sinking much due to his lack of weight) then arrived on firmer ground and climbed out. He raced off.

Atta didn't even bother asking him what he was up to. She just flew after him.

The wagon was deeply mired in the mud. Meeni and Myni were squealing and thrashing, fighting P.T.'s best efforts to control them - which was making them sink very quickly. They were likely to drown themselves.

Molt exited the wagon as well - although he was able to remember in time not to attempt flight. He hopped to a small rock jutting out of the mud and watched the scene with wide-eyed alarm.

"Hey Tiny!" P.T. called to Molt, noticing him out of the corner of his eye. "Make yourself useful! Get up there and help pull my girls out before they bury themselves!"

The grasshopper started forward timidly. The millipedes were severely spooked and writhing about violently. "Is it safe?" he called back to the flea.

"Just go, you pea-brain!" roared P.T.

On that note, Molt stepped in front of the animals. They were too busy struggling to notice him.

"Grab them!" cried P.T. He was beginning to become rather panicked himself. "Pull them out, for pity's sake!"

Molt tried to comply but the millipedes were simply thrashing too much. If only they would settle down...

Molt glanced around for anything that would help him. The only thing handy was a soggy leaf, laying on the wet ground. Memories of one of Hopper's tricks to calm Thumper when the insane grasshopper went berserk surfaced, and Molt picked up the leaf and tossed it over the millipedes' heads.

Slowly, Meeni and Myni ceased their struggles as the leaf obscured their vision. Molt carefully took hold of their bridles and guided them out of the mud as far as he was able.

P.T. leapt down to the grasshopper's side and took over. "My poor girls," he said, his voice dripping with relief.

Flash landed. "We'll never get them and the wagon alla way outta there," he pointed out in his usual helpful manner.

P.T., Molt, and Flash looked up as Flik and Atta suddenly arrived around a fallen tree branch, each bearing a leaf full of sand. Flik approached the millipedes. "This should help," he said.

Flik poured his sand into the mud around the millipedes' feet. Atta poured her sand around the wheels of the wagon.

"Try now, P.T.," instructed Atta.

P.T. carefully removed the leaf from the millipedes' heads. They blinked but did not spook. "All right, easy now girls," the flea said, pulling on the bridles. Meeni and Myni grunted and began to ease themselves forward out of the deep mud, pulling the wagon behind them.

Finally, the wagon was on solid ground again.

"I guess no one said this trip was gonna be easy," Molt remarked with a sigh.

"How much worse could it be?" asked Flash. "We must be almost there, right?"

Flik nodded. "It's only a few feet away."

Atta noticed P.T. clinging protectively to the millipedes' bridles. "How about we just walk the rest of the way?" she suggested.

It was agreed, and they all set off walking towards the sand's hiding place, P.T. leading the millipedes.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Oh, Your Majesty...oh, if I had _only_ known what she was up to..!"

The Queen shook her head. "No, Mr. Soil," she sighed. "You couldn't have stopped her from going even if you _did_ know. That's Dot for you."

"But Your Majesty!" cried Cornelius. "She even took that...that _killer_ grasshopper with her! He'll _massacre_ them all!"

"Somehow I doubt that, Cornelius." The Queen leaned back in her throne and pondered. "Dot knows the way to the Sheltering Stones, and they took the wagon," she reasoned. "Perhaps they will make it through, after all. And, considering the way the weather's been, perhaps Dot did the right thing."

"Oh dear," fretted Dr. Flora sadly. "I'm _so_ disappointed in Cora, taking her patients out on a day like this!"

"Well what do we _do?_" Thorny wanted to know. "Just sit here and twiddle our thumbs?"

"No," the Queen answered him. "You and the workers get in the Tunnel and get ready to dig. Flik's come through for us before - he just might again."

"Betting pool in the Dining Hall," Cornelius whispered to the other members of the Council.


	9. Chapter Nine

_Chapter IX_

"Wow," commented Molt, all other words failing him.

"I'll say." P.T. shook his head. "You ants sure do collect the weirdest things."

Team Beta regarded the red plastic child's beach bucket with interest. Molt, P.T., and Flash had never seen anything like it before, and they were a bit dumbstruck by its size.

Atta took over. "All right," she said. "P.T., bring the wagon over here." She pointed to the ground next to the bucket. "Close the back doors and open the top ones."

P.T. scowled a bit but did as he was instructed.

"The sand's in there?" asked Flash, who had been forced to turn his light up to its highest setting in the dark burrow. "How do we get it out?"

"I thought we could use the blue scoop," answered Flik, pointing to the blue toy shovel peeking out of the top of the bucket. "What do you say, bug guy," he addressed Molt. "Are you up for it?"

Molt just stared at the bucket - and then the shovel - with round eyes. "You really think this is gonna work?" he asked Flik at last. Flik nodded.

"Yeah - come on, buddy," Flash said, hopping into the air and hovering. "Last one up is a dirty stinkbug!"

Molt put a hand on the side of the bucket. He wasn't going to be able to climb the smooth plastic. He took a few steps back, then, after a hesitation, made a leap for the bucket's white handle, which hung down over the side. He managed to grab it, and then he carefully climbed that to the top. He disappeared inside.

"Molt?" called Atta after a bit of silence. "You okay up there?"

Molt reappeared at the edge of the bucket. "Yeah," he answered. "I think I got it. It's kinda heavy though." He ducked back out of sight.

P.T. quickly released Meeni and Myni from their harnesses and led them away from the wagon so they wouldn't startle when the sand dropped. Flash backed off from the bucket so his light illuminated more of the chamber.

"I'm going to give him some help," said Atta to Flik, and she flitted up to the top of the bucket. "Okay - okay," she coached the grasshopper, who was struggling with the shovel. "Up a little higher. To your left...No, your other left!"

Flik coughed as the first scoopful of sand cascaded over the side of the bucket and more or less into the wagon's back car, kicking up a dusty cloud. "That's perfect!" he choked enthusiastically. It was working!

It took a good half-hour to fill both cars of the wagon. Flash and Atta helped an exhausted Molt back down to the ground, and the millipedes were hitched back to the wagon. Everyone climbed aboard and they started on their way back to the Stones.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"I just don't know," muttered Thorny, frowning. "There's still no change in the Tunnel. It's as wet as ever."

Mr. Soil shook his head. "It was a suicide mission," he pointed out. "They'll never be able to do it! We should send a party up there to bring them back."

"But what about the others, on the other side of the Stone?"

Mr. Soil looked at Dr. Flora helplessly. "I'm afraid they are doomed," he replied. "No sense losing _both_ of our Princesses as well."

"Bah," grumbled Cornelius. "That Flik is going to destroy this whole Colony sooner or later. You wait and see! Inventions! Schemes! Claptrap and poppycock, that's what it all is."

The other three Council members glanced at oneanother. No one wanted to believe that Flik's plan was a sure failure but it was starting to look less feasible every hour.

As Cornelius, Mr. Soil, and Dr. Flora turned and headed back up the Tunnel to report to the Queen, Thorny paused, putting his hand on the sunken Stone. It was hard, immovable, cold.

"Cri-kee," he muttered. "Its just one problem after another."


	10. Chapter Ten

_Chapter X_

Directly above, the members of what remained of Team Alpha clustered under a portion of the limp tent in an effort to stay dry. The wind had been picking up too, and the smaller bugs were clinging to the tent nervously.

"I was hoping to be able to fly back to the Anthill tonight," Francis grumbled, hanging onto one of Dim's legs. "Great time for the wind to come back."

"I hope we do not lose the tent," added Heimlich, looking to the grey sky. "Then all our vurk vould be for nothing."

"It's all right; here they come," said Rosie gladly, pointing to the approaching wagon.

As quickly as the wind would warrant, the bugs of Team Alpha surrounded the wagon as Atta, Flik, Flash and Molt opened the top doors. P.T. hopped down and unhitched the millipedes, leading them to one side and tethering them to some withered grass.

Using bits of leaves and grass, the bugs began to lever the sand out of the wagon bit by bit and spread it around the ground where the tent would be staked. It was a slow and tedious affair, and the night seemed to sneak up on them. The wind continued to blow steadily - not so hard that the bugs couldn't stand upright, but too hard to allow flight, which might have sped up the process of spreading the sand. But Flip, Chase, Cora, Clack and Quick's ability to work as a unit helped tremendously - those five alone accomplished nearly half the work themselves. Finally, when the sun had disappeared entirely, the tent was ready to stake down. With the help of Blip and Flash's lights, this final task was completed.

Everyone stood around, filthy and exhausted.

"I never want to do that again," said Atta.

"Me neither," agreed Dot.

"I don't even want to _think_ about doing that again," Francis grunted. "I'm starved," he added spontaneously.

"And I am thirsty," Heimlich inputted.

Flik frowned around. "Water we have," he said, indicating the raindrops clinging to the leaves. "Good thing we brought some food." He peered at the five ants, P.T., Dot, Molt, and Tuck and Roll when Clack coughed nervously. "Let me guess, you guys didn't."

P.T. shrugged. "Little Miss Highness was in a hurry," he said. Dot stuck her tongue out at the flea.

Atta spoke up, "Nevermind, we'll spread the rations out, we'll get by. It's just for tonight. We'll camp here and start back to the Anthill in the morning."

A few of the party grumbled at the prospect of spending the night under that foreboding grey sky but there was nothing else to be done. Food was passed out, water droplets were obtained, and most settled themselves on dry leaves, more or less under the tent, for the night.

But two bugs stayed up. Atta sat next to Flik, who had fallen asleep already, and contemplated the day. And Molt removed himself from the group entirely to sit alone on the other side of a fallen tree branch.

Atta watched him go. She was having a great deal of difficulty deciding how to feel towards the big grasshopper. True, he seemed meek enough, and he had already helped the Colony a few times within the last couple of days, but did that make up for the fact that he was a member of the very gang that had terrorized and stolen from them for so many years? Atta tried to think back to a time when the Colony was free from grasshopper domination...and could barely do it. She had been very young when Hopper and his followers first started raiding the Island.

Hopper. Atta had, for the moment, forgotten that the gangleader was dead - he had been a reality to her for so long. For the first time, she began to allow herself to realize that the Colony was free, that their time was yet again their own. She didn't have to stress about the Offering anymore. It was such a huge change that Atta had trouble grasping it. Hopper was gone, and that was final.

Atta frowned at that. Sure, to her and the other ants, Hopper's death meant freedom. But she knew, it meant something entirely different to Molt. She tried to imagine how she would feel if a bird had eaten Dot - and had to stop, it was too disturbing. Then again, Dot was a much more likable person than Hopper...wasn't she? Atta knew she was confusing herself. There was only one way to find out how Molt really felt.

Molt jumped a bit, startled, when Atta came up behind him and cleared her throat softly. "Um...what?" he said nervously.

"May I sit down?"

Molt scrambled to his feet. "If you wanna; I was just leavin' - "

"No," said Atta quickly. "Can uh..." She paused, feeling rather stupid. "Can I talk to you, for a minute, maybe?"

Molt stood there a moment, confused. "Ya wanna talk to _me?_"

Atta nodded, and sat. She indicated the spot on the branch next to her.

The grasshopper slowly sat, a few inches away from Atta, and regarded her with a mixture of suspicion and uneasiness.

Atta cleared her throat again, buying time until she could actually think of what to say first. "Um, so, how are you?" she began lamely.

"Oh, fine," Molt lied spectacularly. "You?"

"Oh, I'm good," Atta lied back. They both examined the branch silently. Atta berated herself for not knowing better what to say when Molt surprised her by speaking up.

"So, uh," he said, as conversationally as he could. "How much trouble am I in...exactly?"

Atta blinked, surprised at the question. "Oh," she said guiltily. "I'm...not sure. I mean...well..." She couldn't believe she didn't have an answer for this one. "I guess you _were_ in a lot of trouble," she concluded at last, "but seeing as you've been such a big help, I'm sure it won't be so bad."

Molt considered that. "So," he said slowly, "when I can fly again I can leave?"

"Er...You probably won't be able to," answered Atta. "It will be the dead of Winter. You'd never survive. I guess you'll stay with us until Spring."

Molt didn't look happy at that answer. "I...I dunno. I think I'd better not."

Atta took a deep breath. "I think it will be okay," she tried to assure the grasshopper. "Really - without you we never would have gotten that sand over here..." She tried to think of something else to say to make more light of the situation. "After all, it was really Hopper who was to blame for what you did."

Molt stiffened, and Atta winced. She'd messed up already.

"No," said Molt at last. "Well, I mean, I guess it was his idea, but..." He trailed off, and Atta stepped in:

"Flik is right." She tried to be as gentle as possible. "Ants shouldn't work for grasshoppers. But he wasn't right about everything: Grasshoppers don't need ants. You can gather your own food."

Molt was silent for so long Atta began to worry that she had said something wrong. "Hopper always said we shouldn't have to work if someone else would work for us," he said at last. "Someone smaller. He said we're bigger, so we must be better."

Atta shook her head insistently. "But that's _wrong_," she said. "Hopper made that up because he wanted to find a way to live off of someone else. That's just...the way he was."

Molt suddenly turned on Atta, and for once he looked angry. "How do you know how he was?" he demanded. "You didn't know him." He froze when Atta shrank away from him in fright. "Uh - I'm sorry," he said quickly, and looked away.

Atta took a breath, and calmed herself. "No - you're right. I didn't know him." Atta clasped her hands together. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not," Molt said in a small voice, keeping his face turned away from the ant. "He's dead and you're glad."

Atta felt horribly guilty. She slid next to Molt and put a hand on one of his forearms. "No," she said again. "How could I be glad when you're so upset? He was your _brother_ - I can't even imagine what this has done to you. And it's okay to be sad." She reached up to put her hands on Molt's shoulders, and tried to get him to turn back around.

"But it was my _fault_," the grasshopper said weakly, resisting Atta's tugs. "That bird...I mighta...I mighta helped him, if I hadn'ta flown away...I coulda _done_ somethin'..."

"No," Atta said for a third time. "Don't do that. It wasn't your fault. You didn't even know there was a real bird on the Island. It's all right." She tugged some more and this time Molt sagged, allowing her to turn him back towards her. She softened further at the tears in his eyes.

"It wasn't your fault," she said again. "And I swear, you're not in trouble."

They sat up together for a while longer. Around them the insistent wind swirled, but it didn't disturb them.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Mr. Soil! Mr. Soil, come look at this!"

Mr. Soil hurried into the Tunnel upon hearing Thorny's excited call. "Thorny," he said, exhausted. "Do you _know_ what time it is? You really should go get some sleep."

"No time now," said Thorny, grinning. "Do you know what? They've done it! They really have! Look!" He pushed on the wall of the Tunnel. "It isn't saturated anymore! They've really done it!"

Mr. Soil blinked, then took a closer look at the wall. "Well," he said at last, at a loss. "So they have."

"I'll wake the workers." Thorny headed for the temporary sleeping quarters set up in the Dining Hall. "There's no time to lose. Go tell the Queen that everything will be all right now. Oh! And tell Cornelius he'd better pay up."


	11. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

Flik navigated through the crowded Dining Hall, shaking hands and accepting praise humbly. He had announced he was departing for bed over an hour ago - and yet had only gotten about three more inches closer to the exit. "Next time I go to a party," he thought, "I'd better say goodbye when I arrive!"

Atta appeared overhead, hovering. "Flik!" she exclaimed. "There you are. You can't leave yet. You'll miss the toast!"

Flik grinned tiredly. "Another one? What will this make, eighty-six?"

"Come on, party pooper." Atta lifted Flik out of the crowd and flew him back where the Royal Ants, and the Royal Council, and the circus bugs (save for Ymri) had gathered.

"A toast," Manny was proposing, "a toast to the gracious Queen of the Anthill for her hospitality for this Winter."

Droplets of various drinks were raised.

"And," cut in Francis, hovering in front of the mantis, "to Flik for all his harebrained schemes."

"To harebrained schemes!" agreed Thorny enthusiastically, elbowing Cornelius. Cornelius rolled his eyes.

"Okay," yawned Flik. "Any more toasts? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Blip and Flash suggested a few ridiculous toasts, but were for the most part ignored.

"I got one," said P.T. He raised his drop. "To the New and Improved P.T. Flea's Circus."

The others looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?" asked Slim.

P.T. lowered the drop and looked at it. "I mean," he said slowly, "that I've decided to...snazz up the show a little. To add an act."

"Vat act?" wondered Heimlich.

The flea harrumphed. "Okay you ants," he called out over the crowd. "Hop to it!"

At his command Cora, Flip, Chase, Clack, and Quick disengaged themselves from the throng and swiftly assembled themselves into a pyramid in front of the Queen.

"Wonderful!" laughed the Queen, clapping her hands. The five ants hopped down.

"Hey that's pretty good," remarked Francis. "They do requests?"

"And," went on P.T., a bit reluctantly, "I've been uh...thinking about what you all said and..." He paused, and the others blinked at him. "I guess you guys are right: We do need someone to do all the gruntwork around the tent."

The bugs were mystified. "Who?.." began Rosie.

"I have found him," announced Ymri, gently forcing his way through the crowd, a confused Molt in tow.

P.T. was proud of himself. "Strong, willing, and virtually a clean slate," he beamed. "And he's good with the millipedes."

"Uh...what's goin' on?" asked Molt.

Flik laughed. "You just got yourself a job."

The grasshopper was stunned. "A...A _job?_"

"An' I just got me a new partner for _Toad Invasion!_" enthused Blip. Flash scowled at him.

Flik couldn't hold back another yawn. "Okay," he said. "That's it, I'm beat. See you all in the morning." He started schmoozing his way through the crowd again.

Atta smiled as he left. "Guess some people just can't take excitement."

The Queen laughed. "Not like the rest of us," she grinned. "Come on, Corny, let's cut a rug."

* * *

This story is ©1999 Cynthia "Sparky" Read. It disregards all non-movie story sources (storybooks, etc). All characters contained herein that appeared in A Bug's Life are ©Disney/Pixar. Please do not reproduce this story without permission from the author. 


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